Honey I'm Home
by 263Adder
Summary: Christine and Stephen enjoy a day out. Conclusion of my Come On Over series.


Hello. So I figured I'd round off my Come On Over series - three stories seems like a nice round figure. Heads up this is sickly sweet. Hope you enjoy it anyway :P  
I chose Honey I'm Home from Come On Over as it fits in with how much I dislike my new job :D

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Christine hurried up the steps to the Sanctum before awkwardly stopping at the door. Did she knock? Wait, of course she knocked - what else would she do?

Decisively rapping her knuckles against the door, she took a step back and waited patiently for a response. Christine figured she wouldn't be waiting long, the Sanctum was rarely empty. People were always passing through.

What she didn't expect was for Stephen's cape to answer the door.

"Err...hi?"

After the last time she should have been more prepared for when it suddenly shot at her - but she was still a novice, alright? Instead of dodging the move Christine suddenly found her right arm enveloped by the red cloak which promptly dragged her off towards the stairs.

Looking behind her, stumbling over her own feet a little, she was both unnerved and fascinated to see the door close itself.

Watching her step, Christine followed the cloak up the stairs and down a corridor. It crossed her mind that she could attempt to reason with the cloak and explain that she would happily follow it without the need of a death grip, but after their last few encounters Christine figured it would be a futile attempt. As they turned the corner she promptly collided with someone. Could the cloak even see where it was going? Did it have eyes? Or an eye like equivalent? What would that even be?

So many questions, so little time in the day of a doctor.

"Christine." Stephen said, reaching out to steady her. "I'm so sorry."

Christine shot him an annoyed look.

"Sorry, I was just putting my books aside before I answered the door and it flew off. I think it likes you." Stephen offered.

"Great. I," she looked at the cloak, "like you too?"

Seemingly happy (how could an item of clothing be happy or look it anyway) the cloak released her arm and promptly flew off, back in the direction Stephen had come from.

"Your life is so, _odd_."

Stephen rolled his eyes. "That it is."

"Well. I believe you promised me a beach, Doctor Strange." Christine said, taking a step back.

Grinning at her change of conversation Stephen responded, "So I did, Doctor Palmer."

With a flourish of his hand, Stephen led them back down the corridor and off towards another room.

"How was your shift?"

"Busy."

"Nothing eventful?"

"Same old."

He chuckled lightly. "You know you can talk about it with me. I mean...it won't upset me or anything."

Like it had after the accident.

"Right. I...right. _Sure_. But really, nothing interesting happened today. I think the most interesting case was how this kid managed to get a quarter stuck in his ear."

"How would that fit in the canal?" Stephen asked, frowning a little as his imagination conjured up the scenario.

"Beats me - but he managed it somehow. Guess we can't all be as proficient at magic as others. Maybe Hogwarts will whip him into shape."

"I'm still not a wizard."

"Maybe. But you get all cute when you point that out."

"You think I'm cute?"

"Under certain lighting."

"I'll take that."

"Knew you would."

Christine followed him into a large library, soon wandering ahead of him, drawn in by the sight of three - _doors_? - which seemed to lead to a forest, a desert and, promisingly, a beach.

"They're permanent portals? You don't have to use a sling ring?" She asked, feeling rather proud of herself and how far her knowledge had progressed in such a short span of time. And given how Stephen was still bad at sharing - she practically had to pry the magical texts out of his clutches in an attempt to learn anything about this new universe she'd been pulled in to.

"No. We can just pass through and as long as the door stays open we can pass back."

"But you're gonna take your ring just in case, right? While I am _very_ excited about the prospect of sunshine and fresh air, I'd hate for the wind to blow the door shut and us getting stuck there. Or a good pupil walk through and close the door not realising we're on the other side."

"Of course I am." Stephen said, probably rolling his eyes again. Christine wasn't sure, she couldn't take her eyes off the view. "Are you ready?"

"Don't we need some provisions?"

"I've got it all set. Come on."

Pulling the door open, he led her through with his palm resting so gently on her shoulder it was almost like he was expecting her to rebuff him. Instead, as they moved onto the lovely white sand, Christine reached back and pulled his hand away only to link their fingers together.

"It's so beautiful." She commented, glancing around at the deserted beach. It was funny that she could still see the library while physically being in a different location, but it was an image she was beginning to get used to. "But where _are_ we, exactly? And why haven't we been here sooner?"

"Well, if you recall when we were previously dating I was a - how _did_ you phrase it? Ah, yes. A 'self-centred, egotistical, too smart for my own good, _prick_ '?"

Christine managed to both cringe and laugh. Ah, his impeccable memory. How it was both a blessing and a curse.

"And since becoming independent of commercial airlines, I was a little wrapped up in battling 'baddies' and rebuilding a Sanctum."

"Someone's feeling sassy today." Christine deadpanned.

He laughed alongside her as they moved away from the portal and further along the shore. "As for where we are, I'm not one hundred percent sure. I just turn the dial to change the destination. I've been looking into it though, and there are some interesting volumes relating to its creation..."

She quickly interrupted before he got too wrapped up in lecturing her on portal transportation. "How about a guess?"

"The Caribbean maybe?"

"It's certainly humid enough."

"Yes. Maybe we should have changed."

"Speak for yourself." Christine chuckled. "I was promised a beach and I actually prepared for one."

"Well I did bring supplies. I have drinks, food," Stephen began, looking down into a bag he must have picked up when she'd been distracted. Christine took the opportunity, while his gaze was averted, to kick off her shoes and pull down her scrub pants. "Of course some sunscreen, towels, sunglasses," her top dropped on the floor beside them leaving her in a modest black swimsuit.

"I'll take the sunglasses and towels." She said, holding out her hand. "And if you behave yourself I might let you put sunscreen on my back."

The sunglasses dropped in the sand and, trying to bite back a giggle, Christine bent down to get it while pretending to be ignorant of Stephen's gaze.

"Well I think we're far enough out of sight of the portal now. Shouldn't be at risk of being spied on by passing students. Why don't we set up camp here?"

She finally looked at him and wiggled her fingers as he failed to do anything. "Stephen. _Towel_."

Perhaps the command, being similar to what she would request in the OR, was what snapped him out of his flurry - or maybe he realised how idiotically adorable he was acting. Either way he handed over a green towel and after a few seconds of levelling it out, Christine was contently lounging on the beach, on her stomach gazing out at the rippling waves.

"This is amazing. If dates with you are going to be like this, you might have trouble getting rid of me."

"Why would I want rid of _you_?" Stephen asked, dropping the bag and spreading out his own towel.

Ignoring the comment, Christine continued. "What I'm really impressed with is that you managed to convince the cloak to stay behind."

"It's possessive." He mumbled, reclining on his back. He was still dressed in his (now) usual clothes and should have been sweltering, but rather he seemed unbothered by the heat.

"Oh, I've noticed. It's more like a shadow than a garment. But it's rather cute."

"It's 'cute' when it likes you."

"I'll have to try to stay on its good side then, won't I?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"It's a stunning view, isn't it?"

"Sure is."

"I wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning."

"Me neither."

Christine's grin widened as she turned to look at Strange. "Stephen? Are you having trouble conversing because you're _still_ thinking about how they made that portal or is it just because you're too busy ogling me?"

He protested, making an odd gurgling noise as he did. "I don't ogle. It's just a wonderful beach. We can come every day if you want."

"Well the jungle looked pretty cool too. I think I'll pass on the desert though. I hate snakes."

"I remember. Just like Indiana Jones."

"Harrison Ford was so hot in those movies."

Stephen scoffed. "Are you including Crystal Skull in that assessment?"

"I do not know of the film to which you are referencing. By my last count there are three Indiana Jones films and no more."

"Still adamant on that, then?"

"Hey, we can have this debate again if you want pal?"

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Stephen still looked a little flushed. "Fine. But for the record I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

Christine smiled sweetly at Stephen's unexpected statement. "Thank you. I'm sure I can think of plenty of places for us to go. But you know, it's not where you're going, it's who you're going with."

"Some Like It Hot. 1959."

"Show off."

"You love it really."

It was hard to hold back a laugh, but then again she didn't really try. After all the whole point of this little excursion was to encourage him. "I do."

She lay back down so she could admire the view again. Hardly a minute past before Stephen shifted forward as well, so he could turn to look at her.

"I'm glad we could do this."

Shifting on her side, Christine slowly reached out a hand to rest on Stephen's shoulder. "So am I."

"You finally got your day on the beach." He smiled, moving to cover her hand with his.

"That's not what I'm happy about." She smiled before moving ever closer, continuing her slow journey until their lips lightly met.

Pulling back after a second, Stephen levelled that look at her which he always gave her when she came to him with a case she was passionate about for help. A look of pure confusion over why he found it impossible to turn her down. "Are you sure about this? Yesterday..."

"Yesterday was yesterday and today is today. We still have some progress to make, Stephen. But I don't fancy waiting forever. We'll never be completely happy, no one's that perfect and we both have flaws. You can be an egotistical prick and I can be a bleeding heart who can _also_ be rather _stubborn_ sometimes. But I want you for your faults and I hope you want that too."

"I would still argue that I have considerably more, _faults_ , than you. I am the moron who drove off a cliff, remember."

"I'll never forget _that_. But I'm ready to move past it. But I don't want to pressure you if this isn't something you..."

In a rather clichéd manner her rather sappy speech, by her own account, was cut off by a kiss that was both familiarly impatient and also newly passionate. And if a passerby who had dropped by the New York Sanctum from Kamar-Taj happened to notice the unfolding scene, well who could blame him for closing the door and giving them some privacy.

But also because sometimes it's just impossible to resist the temptation to annoy Stephen Strange.

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Hope you liked this and didn't find it too sappy. As always, comments are love and help a writer keep motivated. Good luck with the week everybody :)


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